Cordless curling iron and wand

ABSTRACT

A cordless hair care appliance easily convertible between a curling wand and a curling iron. The appliance features a removable clamp formed as a ring portion and hinged clamp, where the ring portion slidably fits onto the barrel of the curling wand. The appliance has an enlarged diameter portion at the interface between the barrel and a main body. The removable clamp is friction fit to the barrel when slid into place at the interface. The appliance may operate by battery alone or using battery plus a DC current supplied by a corded AC adaptor. An internal processing unit manages power usage and determines whether the device is operating in battery mode or corded mode.

FIELD

The present application generally relates to hair care appliances and, in particular, to a cordless curling iron that easily converts into a curling wand.

BACKGROUND

Curling irons are common hair care appliances. Most curling irons are corded, since the heating element draws a high current and needs a significant power source. Attempts have been made to produce cordless curling irons that are butane-powered, but these often fail to achieve a high enough temperature to be useful. Gas-powered curling irons are also considered more inherently dangerous and would be prohibited in some situations, such as on airplanes.

Another common hair care appliance is a curling wand. Individuals or hair care professionals typically have both a curling iron and a curling wand since each appliance is used to achieve a different stylistic effect. When traveling, this means that both appliances must be carried if a full range of hair styling options is desired.

It would be advantageous to provide for an improved cordless hair care appliance that, at least in part, addresses some of the shortcomings of existing hair care appliances.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show example embodiments of the present application, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one example embodiment of a hair care appliance configured to operate in a curling wand mode;

FIG. 2 shows the hair care appliance of FIG. 1 in a partially-exploded view;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of another example embodiment of a hair care appliance in a partially-exploded view; and

FIG. 4 shows, in block diagram form, one example of the electrical components of an embodiment of the hair care appliance.

Similar reference numerals may have been used in different figures to denote similar components.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Various examples and aspects of the present application will be described with reference to the details discussed herein. The following description and drawings are illustrative of the present application and are not to be construed as limiting the present application. Numerous details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to provide a concise discussion of the embodiments of the present application. It will also be appreciated that various aspects and features may be implemented in sub-combinations, and that an aspect or feature from one described embodiment may be incorporated into other described embodiments.

The present application describes, in some examples, a battery-powered hair care appliance that functions as both a curling iron and a curling wand. A removable clamp on a ring may be slid onto or off of the barrel to convert the appliance between iron and wand.

In one aspect, the present application describes a hair care appliance that includes a main body housing electrical components, including a battery and a processing unit. The appliance includes a barrel attached to and extending from the main body and having a heat conductive exterior surface, the barrel having an outer diameter, wherein an interface between the main body and the barrel includes an enlarged diameter portion axially aligned with the barrel and having an exterior surface diameter greater than the outer diameter, and removable clamp having a ring portion sized to slidably fit over the barrel and, on an outer face of the ring portion, a hinged clamp extending in an axial direction along the barrel and spring-biased to be urged against the barrel. The ring portion has an inner diameter sized to friction fit when slid along the barrel to the enlarged diameter portion.

In another aspect, the present application describes a hair care appliance that includes a main body housing electrical components, including a battery and a processing unit; a barrel attached to and extending from the main body and having a heat conductive exterior surface, the barrel having an outer diameter, wherein an interface between the main body and the barrel includes an enlarged diameter portion axially aligned with the barrel and having an exterior surface diameter greater than the outer diameter; removable clamp having a ring portion sized to slidably fit over the barrel and, on an outer face of the ring portion, a hinged clamp extending in an axial direction along the barrel and spring-biased to be urged against the barrel; and retention means for resisting axial movement of the removable clamp when slid onto the barrel to a point proximate the interface.

Other aspects and features of the present application will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from a review of the following description of examples in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

In the present application, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” are intended to be inclusive and open ended, and not exclusive. Specifically, when used in the specification and claims, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” and variations thereof mean the specified features, steps, or components are included. These terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps, or components.

In the present application, the term “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration”, and should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other configurations disclosed herein.

In the present application, the terms “about”, “approximately”, and “substantially” are meant to cover variations that may exist in the upper and lower limits of the ranges of values, such as variations in properties, parameters, and dimensions. In a non-limiting example, the terms “about”, “approximately”, and “substantially” may mean plus or minus 10 percent or less.

In the present application, the term “and/or” is intended to cover all possible combinations and sub-combinations of the listed elements, including any one of the listed elements alone, any sub-combination, or all of the elements, and without necessarily excluding additional elements.

In the present application, the phrase “at least one of . . . or . . . ” is intended to cover any one or more of the listed elements, including any one of the listed elements alone, any sub-combination, or all of the elements, without necessarily excluding any additional elements, and without necessarily requiring all of the elements.

There are a number of hair care appliances used to style hair, including curling irons, curling wands, and hair straighteners, among others. Both curling irons and curling wands features a cylindrical heated barrel, but the curling iron further includes a clamp to press locks of hair against the barrel, allowing for tighter curls to be imparted to the locks. Straighteners feature flat-surfaced heated jaws between which locks of hair can be clamped in order to remove curl. All three of these examples contain heating elements that cause a heat-conductive portion of the appliance to become hot during use. To power the heating element, these devices tend to draw large currents and rely on a corded power connection to conventional power outlets. Moreover, each device is designed for a different purpose and those users that which to achieve different hair care looks typically own at least one of each of these devices.

In accordance with one aspect of the present application, a hair care appliance is provided that functions as both a curling iron and a curling wand and is easily converted between iron and wand modes of operation.

In another aspect of the present application, a hair care appliance is provided that operates in both battery-powered and wall-plug powered modes. In particular, in some implementations, the wall-plug is a DC power supply, such as through a plug-in AC/DC adaptor. This DC power supply is sufficient to recharge the internal battery over time, but insufficient to power the hair care heating element on its own. In some instances, the DC power supply comes from a USB-connection or some other similar DC current source, as opposed to an AC/DC adaptor plugged into the power mains.

Accordingly, when plugged in to the DC power supply, the heating element draws current from both the DC power supply and the internal battery when heating. When not heating the element, the DC power supply recharges the internal battery. In some embodiments, an internal power sensor determines whether the appliance is receiving power via a DC power supply and, if not, then it relies solely on battery power for heating the appliance and, otherwise, relies on both the DC power supply and the internal battery for current to heat the heating element.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which shows one example of a hair care appliance 10. The appliance 10 features a generally cylindrical main body 12 and an axially-aligned generally cylindrical barrel 14. The main body 12 serves as a handle and houses the battery, a processing unit, and associated circuitry. The barrel 14 is formed from a heat-conductive metal, whereas the main body 12 may be formed from a generally heat-insulated material so that the heat generated by a heating element does not heat the main body 12.

The main body 12 may include user interface elements, such as an input device 16 and a display device 18. In this example, the display device 18 includes at least a numeric display for indicating a temperature setting or reading. The input device 16 in this example includes a power on/off button 20, a temperature up button 22 and a temperature down button 24. The display device 18 may alternatively or additionally include other display elements such as LED lights for indicate modes of operation or other state information. In some instances, LED lights may be incorporated into the main body 12. In some instances, LED lights may be incorporated into the input device 16. For example the input device 16 or a portion of it may be illuminated. The colour of illumination may signal a state or mode of operation. For example, a particular colour, such as green, illuminating the power button 20 may signal that the appliance 10 is turned on. The LED lights may be pulsed or flash to signal other state or mode information, such as if the battery is being charged, or to signal a low battery state, or other such information.

The main body 12 may include an end cap 24 that is generally circular. The end cap may be friction fit, screwed in, or otherwise attached so as to secure the end of the main body 12 and retain one or more rechargeable batteries within an internal battery compartment (not illustrated). In one example implementation the battery may be a 3.7V 5000 mAh rechargeable and replaceable battery.

The main body 12 further includes a plug socket (not shown) for receiving a connector from an AC/DC adapter. The AC/DC adapter plugs into a wall socket and supplies DC power via its connector. The connector may be a coaxial connector in some examples. The DC power supplied by the AC adapter may be, for example, 9 Volts DC, although other implementations may use different voltage levels. In one example, a USB connector is used and 5 VDC is supplied via the USB connection. In yet another example, a USB connector is used to obtain higher power (and higher voltage) in compliance with the USB Power Deliver Specification revision 3.0.

The hair care appliance 10 further includes a removable clamp 30. The removable clamp includes a ring portion 32 and a hinged clamp 34 pivotably mounted to the ring portion 32. The hinged clamp 34 extends in an axial direction parallel to the barrel 14 and is spring-biased at the hinged area to urge the hinged clamp 34 against the outer surface of the barrel 14. The removable clamp 30 includes a lever 36 connected to the hinged clamp 34 and extending away from the hinged clamp 34. The lever 36 is positioned so as to be thumb-depressible in opposition go the spring-biasing, thereby pivoting the hinged clamp 34 up and away from the outer surface of the barrel 14.

The hinged clamp 34 may be constructed from a heat-conductive material such that heat generated for heating the barrel 14 is conductively transferred to the hinged clamp 34 when the hinged clamp 34 is in contact with the barrel 14. The lever 36 may be made, at least in part, from a non-heat-conductive material so that it does not heat up and can be touched by a user. The ring portion 32 may be made from head-conductive material, non-heat-conductive material, or a combination thereof.

Reference is now also made to FIG. 2, which shows the example hair care appliance 10 in exploded view. In this view, the removable clamp 30 is slid off the barrel 14. With the removable clamp 30 detached from the barrel 14, the appliance 10 may function as a curling wand, whereas with the removable clamp 30 attached it functions as a curling iron.

In some embodiments, the removable clamp 30 may incorporate a stand for the appliance 10. That is, the ring portion 32 may include a non-heat-conductive stand 40, formed as a projection from its underside. The projection may be a two-point projection with or without a relatively flat portion interconnecting the two-points. The projection extends from the outer surfaces of the ring portion 32 on a side opposite to the side of the ring portion 32 to which the hinged clamp 34 is pivotably attached.

In this example, the barrel 14 and the main body 12 meet at an interface. The barrel 14 has an outer diameter that is substantially constant along its length. The interface between the barrel 14 and the main body 12 includes an enlarged diameter portion having an exterior surface diameter greater than the outer diameter of the barrel 12. In this example, the enlarged diameter portion may be formed as a flared frustoconically-shaped outer surface 40. The enlarged diameter portion may function as a stop that prevents the removable clamp 30 from being slid onto the main body 12 and off of the barrel 14. In some examples, the flared frustoconically-shaped outer surface 40 may aid in friction fitting the removable clamp 30 when mounting, as the friction fit gets more secure as the ring portion 32 is advanced further onto the flared frustoconically-shaped outer surface 40. In yet other embodiments, the enlarged diameter portion may not be flared and may not be frustoconical in shape. In some embodiments, the enlarged diameter portion may be implemented as a projection or other non-annular element extending from the outer surface of the barrel 14 or the main body 12 proximate the interface so as to stop axial movement of the ring portion 32 in the direction of the main body 12. In such embodiments, the enlarged diameter portion may be referred to as a stop member.

In some examples, the barrel 14 may include an annular groove into which is fit a retaining ring 42 in a location proximate the interface. The retaining ring 42 may be slightly larger in its outer diameter than the outer diameter of the barrel 12, such that when in place in the annular groove, the thickness of the retaining ring 42 results in a slightly bulged annular part of the barrel 14. The retaining ring 42 may be formed from a heat-resistant material having a higher coefficient of friction than the material used to form the barrel 12. In use, the retaining ring 42 resists movement of the ring portion 32 once the removable clamp 30 is in place on the appliance 10, and resists both axial sliding of the removable clamp 30 and rotational movement of the removable clamp 30.

Some implementations of the appliance 10 may feature the retaining ring 42 or may feature the enlarged diameter portion, or may feature both or neither. In some implementations, alternative mechanisms may be used to retain the removable clamp 30 in position once slid onto the barrel 14 towards the interface.

In one example, the appliance 10 may feature the annular groove with no retaining ring 42. The ring portion 32 may include a projection on its inner surface sized to snap-fit into the annular groove. The projection may include an annular projection in the form of a rib that extends for substantially the full inner circumference of the inner surface. The projection may include a single point protuberance, i.e. a boss, or multiple such protuberances aligned along the inner circumferentially along the inner surface. The rib or boss/bosses may snap-fit into the groove when the ring portion 32 is slid into place proximate the interface. The rib or boss/bosses in cooperation with the groove may resist axial movement of the removable clamp 30.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which shows another example embodiment of a hair care appliance 110. In this example, the appliance 110 includes a barrel 114 that features a shallow longitudinal channel 162. A removable clamp 130 has a ring portion 132 that features a projection 160 on its interior surface. The projection 160 is sized to fit within the channel 162, such that the removable clamp 130 may only be slid onto the barrel 114 when oriented correctly to rotationally align the projection 160 with the channel 162. This may prevent incorrect rotational movement of the removable clamp 130 in some implementations. The end of the channel 162 proximate the interface may include a ridge at the channel bottom over which the projection 160 is to snap-fit, or a deeper portion into which the projection 160 is to snap-fit so as to resist further axial movement of the removable clamp 130 once slid into place.

In some implementations, and as shown in this example, the channel 162 may further include a partial annular channel 164 at the end of the channel 162, into which the projection 160 is rotated. The partial annular channel 164 prevents axial movement of the removable clamp 130 once the projection 160 has been rotated into the partial annular channel 164. The partial annular channel 164 may feature a ridge at the channel bottom over which the projection 160 is to snap-fit, or a deeper portion into which the projection 160 is to snap-fit so as to resist further rotational movement of the removable clamp 130 once slid into place.

In this sense the barrel 114 and ring portion 132 are keyed to ensure correct rotational alignment and to prevent rotation and to prevent or resist axial movement once in place. It will be appreciated that the groove/channel combination may be switched such that the ring portion 132 features a groove and the barrel 114 features a projection in some implementations.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which shows, in block diagram form, an example of a cordless hair care appliance 200. The appliance 200 in this example includes a microcontroller 202 and a rechargeable battery 204. The microcontroller 202 operates under program control to coordinate and control operation of the other components and circuitry in the appliance 200. The appliance 200 may include output devices, such as a display 210 and/or LED 212 indicators. The appliance 200 may further include input devices, such as a power on/off button 214 or switch, and a temperature up button 216 and a temperature down button 218. Signals from the buttons 214, 216, 218 may be provided, subject to suitable conditioning, to the microcontroller 202 for taking consequent action. One or more temperature sensors 220 may also provide sensor signals to the microcontroller 202 for regulating power supplied to a heating element 228 dependent upon a current temperature setting. In some implementations, the appliance 200 may further incorporate additional components for safety purposes. For example, the microcontroller 202 may be connected to an inertial sensor (not shown), such as an accelerometer, to determine if the appliance 200 has been stationary for more than a threshold period of time while being switched on and heated. If so, then the microcontroller 202 may be configured to turn the appliance 200 off. Similarly, the appliance 200 may include a battery chamber temperature sensor (not shown) to monitor the temperature proximate the battery(ies) and to turn off the appliance 200 if the temperature exceeds a danger level.

A DC voltage plug socket 206 is provided to accept a connector from an AC adaptor to receive the DC power supply. In some embodiments the AC adaptor supplies 9 VDC, however it will be understood that the DC voltage supply may range from, for example, 5 VDC to 14 VDC. When the DC voltage plug socket 206 is connected to a DC power supply, in this example, 9 VDC is provided to a battery charge circuit 208 for recharging the battery 204.

The battery charge circuit 208 may be implemented using a variety of possible configurations for recharging the battery 204 from an input DC supply current; however, in one example the battery charge circuit 208 may step the 9 VDC down using, for example, a DC voltage regulator. One example of such a regulator is an LM7805 from Texas Instruments. The battery charge circuit 208 may further include a charge management control chip, such as the MCP73831 chip from Microchip Technology Inc. for example. One or more of the LEDs 212 may be incorporated into the battery charge circuit 208 for signaling status of the charging operation, such as whether the battery 204 is charging or is fully charged. The microcontroller 202 may monitor the charges status and may cut off the charge current when the battery 204 has been fully charged.

The heating element 228 requires certain power characteristics in order to reach desired temperature levels. The microcontroller 202 may adjust the maximum temperature setting permissible dependent upon a number of factors, such as the current battery charge level and/or whether a connector from an AC adaptor is supplying current via the DC voltage plug socket 206. In some implementations, if the appliance 200 is relying on battery power alone, then the microcontroller 202 may impose a lower maximum temperature setting. Moreover, the power supplied by the AC adaptor is at 9 Volts DC, whereas the battery 204 offers 3.7 VDC in this example. Accordingly, the appliance 200 includes a voltage booster 222 to provide an output of 9 VDC from the 3.7 VDC input by the battery 204.

The heating element 228 is powered by a power controller 224 operating under control of the microcontroller 202. The power controller 224, in this embodiment, may include a digital potentiometer for dynamic adjustment of the power supplied to the heating element 228. In one example the digital potentiometer is a 9-bit digital potentiometer featuring 100 kΩ end-to-end resistance with an SPI serial interface. The wiper position varies linearly and is controlled via the SPI interface, which operates under control of the microcontroller 202 in response to adjustments made via the temperature up/down buttons 216, 218. The digital potentiometer controls the output current supplied to the heating element 228 in both battery and battery-plus-plugged in modes.

One example implementation employs an 8-Bit microcontroller as the microcontroller 202. One such example is the Atmel™ ATmega32A microcontroller, although many others may be used in other implementations. The microcontroller 202 may monitor and control the other elements of the appliance 200, including shutting down or powering off some elements in a power saving mode when operating on battery power in order to better preserve battery life.

Certain adaptations and modifications of the described embodiments can be made. Therefore, the above discussed embodiments are considered to be illustrative and not restrictive. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A hair care appliance, comprising: a main body housing electrical components, including a battery and a processing unit; a barrel attached to and extending from the main body and having a heat conductive exterior surface, the barrel having an outer diameter, wherein an interface between the main body and the barrel includes an enlarged diameter portion axially aligned with the barrel and having an exterior surface diameter greater than the outer diameter; and removable clamp having a ring portion sized to slidably fit over the barrel and, on an outer face of the ring portion, a hinged clamp extending in an axial direction along the barrel and spring-biased to be urged against the barrel, wherein the ring portion has an inner diameter sized to friction fit when slid along the barrel to the enlarged diameter portion.
 2. The hair care appliance of claim 1, wherein the enlarged diameter portion comprises a frustoconically-shaped outer surface having a narrow-diameter end attached to the barrel and matching the outer diameter of the barrel, and having a wide-diameter end attached to the main body.
 3. The hair care appliance of claim 2, wherein the inner diameter of the ring portion is greater than the outer diameter of the barrel and less than the wide-diameter end of the enlarged diameter portion, such that the ring portion friction fits on the frustoconically-shaped outer surface of the enlarged diameter portion.
 4. The hair care appliance of claim 1, wherein the barrel includes an annular groove in its exterior surface proximate the interface.
 5. The hair care appliance of claim 4, wherein the enlarged diameter portion includes a retaining ring disposed within the annular groove, the retaining ring having a thickness such that its outer surface has a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the barrel when the retaining ring is disposed within the annular groove.
 6. The hair care appliance of claim 4, wherein the ring portion has an inner surface in contact with the exterior surface of the barrel, and wherein the inner surface includes a protuberance sized to snap-fit into the annular groove.
 7. The hair care appliance of claim 6, wherein the protuberance includes at least one of a rib or a boss.
 8. The hair care appliance of claim 1, wherein the hinged clamp is formed from a heat conductive material such that the hinged clamp becomes heated when the barrel is heated.
 9. The hair care appliance of claim 8, wherein the ring portion further includes a lever connected to the hinged clamp and extending in a direction opposite from the hinged clamp, the lever being depressable against a bias spring to pivot the hinged clamp apart from the barrel.
 10. The hair care appliance of claim 9, wherein the lever includes a heat-insulated thumb pad.
 11. The hair care appliance of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the barrel proximate the interface includes one of a projection or a groove and wherein an inner surface of the ring portion includes a corresponding one of a groove or a projection, respectively, that engages said one of the projection or the groove on the outer surface of the barrel when the ring portion is slidably positioned at the interface so as to prevent rotation of the ring portion, in use.
 12. The hair care appliance of claim 1, wherein the removable clamp includes a heat-insulated stand on a side of the ring portion opposite the hinged clamp, to support the hair care appliance with the barrel elevated when resting on a surface.
 13. The hair care appliance of claim 12, wherein the heat-insulated stand includes a projecting structure having at least two projection points extending outwards from the ring portion in a direction substantially away from the side of the ring portion to which the hinged clamp is attached.
 14. The hair care appliance of claim 1, further including a DC voltage plug socket for receiving a DC current supply, a heating element for converting electrical current to heat for heating the barrel, and a digital potentiometer for regulating the power supplied to the heating element under control of the processing unit.
 15. The hair care appliance of claim 14, further including a charging circuit for charging the battery from the DC current supply received via the DC voltage plug socket.
 16. The hair care appliance of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is to determine whether the DC current supply is connected to the DC voltage plug socket and, if so, to supply current to the heating element from both the battery and the DC current supply when heating the heating element.
 17. A hair care appliance, comprising: a main body housing electrical components, including a battery and a processing unit; a barrel attached to and extending from the main body and having a heat conductive exterior surface, the barrel having an outer diameter, wherein an interface between the main body and the barrel includes an enlarged diameter portion axially aligned with the barrel and having an exterior surface diameter greater than the outer diameter; removable clamp having a ring portion sized to slidably fit over the barrel and, on an outer face of the ring portion, a hinged clamp extending in an axial direction along the barrel and spring-biased to be urged against the barrel; and retention means for resisting axial movement of the removable clamp when slid onto the barrel to a point proximate the interface.
 18. The hair care appliance claimed in claim 17, wherein the retention means includes friction fit means for causing friction between the ring portion and the barrel so as to resist axial movement of the ring portion once at the point.
 19. The hair care appliance claimed in claim 18, wherein the retention means further resists rotational movement of the ring portion when the ring portion is positioned at the point. 